mTRODUCTION. 



To the Honorable Senate 



and House of HejJresentatives : 



I have the honor, herewith, to transmit to the Legislature, , 

 in accordance with the requirements of the statute, the 

 Twenty-Third Annual Report of the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture for the year 1878. 



In response to a cordial invitation from the people of Knox 

 county, the annual meeting of the Board was held at Warren 

 in that county, on the 19th, 20th and 21st of February, it 

 having been the first instance of a meeting of the Board being 

 held in the county. At that meeting, W. W. Harris, Esq. 

 of Portland, was elected President, George Flint of North 

 Anson, Vice President, and Samuel L. Boardman of Augusta, 

 Secretary. Subsequently the usual committees of the Board 

 were appointed, and at the opening of the public meetings an 

 address of welcome, in behalf of the citizens of the town, was 

 given by L. F. Starrett, Esq., of Warren, Clerk of Courts 

 for Knox county. It was most appropriate to the occasion, 

 and was responded to by the President of the Board and 

 other srentlemen. The session was held in the Town Hall, 

 and throughout the entire period it was well filled with a 

 good audience of farmers and their ladies, the meetings con- 

 tinuing with increasing interest to their very close. 



A selection from the papers presented and the discussions 

 following them, is given in subsequent pages, it having been 

 deemed advisable to condense the discussions somewhat and 

 yet preserve all the essential points, and to omit, at the 

 request of their authors, several lectures and papers pre- 

 sented. One of the most interesting and valuable lectures 



